Should I take antidepressants?

So you’ve been prescribed antidepressants but you’re not feeling so great about it. Should you take them? Do you feel confident about why you’re taking them? We spoke to Dr Lars Davidsson, psychiatrist and medical director of the Anglo European Clinic, to find out what you should know before you start.

Firstly, what happened at the doctor’s appointment?

You went to see your GP about feeling low, or anxious, and you’ve come out with a prescription for antidepressants. How you feel about taking them will depend on what happened in that appointment.

Psychiatrist Dr Lars Davidsson says it’s important the following happened:

You felt listened to and understood

They asked you in detail about your thoughts and feelings

You were given a diagnosis

You were offered CBT or another form of talking therapy alongside your medication

The side-effects of the medication and how long it takes for it to work were thoroughly explained to you

“If a doctor has recommended you take antidepressants than my opinion is yes, you should probably take them,” says Dr Lars. “But you should also be referred to get some kind of therapy alongside the prescription too.”

Why is a diagnosis important?

“In instances of mild depression, you shouldn’t be prescribed antidepressants at all, but offered some kind of CBT,” says Dr Lars. “If you have moderate depression, you should be prescribed both therapy and antidepressants.”

What if I’m offered antidepressants but no therapy?

If you feel relieved about being given antidepressants there’s no reason not to try them. Lots of people find them helpful.

But if you’re feeling confused, unsure about what exactly is wrong with you, or just that you need to talk to someone, then go back and ask to see another GP. Ask them what talking treatments are available in your area and ask to be referred.

“There’s really no reason why you should be advised to just take medication with nothing alongside it,” says Dr Lars. “If that happens, it’s usually down to a lack of resources or the GP’s lack of experience. Don’t be afraid to ask to be referred to a psychiatrist.”

What about the side-effects of antidepressants? Aren’t they really awful?

It’s important your GP tells you about any possible side-effects and what you can expect. Some people take antidepressants and have no trouble, but others find they feel sick or sleepy, or even more depressed.

It’s important to bear in mind that you can experience side-effects within days of starting treatment, but it usually takes at least a couple of weeks for the medication to start working. In the meantime, you’re in no-mans-land: feeling worse without anything to help.

That’s why you should feel confident about what to expect, how long side-effects may last, and what you can do if you really struggle with them. It makes it less scary, so ensure you’ve had this conversation with your GP.

Side-effects and young people

There’s evidence that a type of antidepressant called SSRIs can have worse side-effects (including causing suicidal thoughts) for young people, pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding. SSRIs, such as Fluoxetine, are regularly used for depressive disorders. If you feel suicidal, speak to your GP, go to A&E, or contact the Samaritans.

Are there any alternatives?

Talking therapies and CBT are the most common options if you don’t want to take antidepressants – although these can work better if you’re on medication, according to Dr Lars.

Another common alternative to antidepressants is the herb St. John’s Wort. Though ‘natural’, St. John’s Wort has side-effects and can interfere with other medication, like the contraceptive pill. You can find more information on the NHS website.

So, should I take antidepressants?

It’s an entirely personal decision, but if you’ve been prescribed them, it is recommended. “At the end of the day, it’s up to you,” says Dr Lars. “But if the doctor prescribed you medicine for diabetes or low blood pressure, would you not take the medicine for that? I guess it comes down to ‘do you want treatment?’”

Next Steps

Mind offers advice and support to people with mental health problems. Their helpline runs nine to six from Monday to Friday. 0300 123 3393

How can we help?

Welcome to The Mix, a support service for young people. There are loads of ways you can get support from us, including our articles, videos, helpline, counselling, forums, apps and more. To find which service suits your needs use the drop down menu below.

You have not entered information into all
the fields below

How are you feeling?

Please fill the required field

Age?Please enter a number

Where do you
live?

Please fill the required field

What issue would you like us
to help you with?Please fill the required field

By ticking this box, you're agreeing that we can use your data for webchat. We keep a copy of all of our webchat transcripts and we use information about you to make sure that we can provide our webchat service in the best possible way. You can read more about how we store helpline data here and situations when that might change in our Confidentiality Policy.*You must agree with the terms in our privacy policy

Sign up

Welcome to The Mix, the online guide to life for young people in the UK.

Your Voices is a community-focused section of The Mix where you can share stories about your experiences on a specific issue. Upload your own videos, images, blog posts, and playlists to Your Voices and share them with your friends.

Don't have a Your Voices account? Sign up here to submit your own content.

This field can't be emptyUsername can not be longer than 12 charactersUsername can contain only letters, numbers . - _ @This field can't be emptyThis field can't be emptyThis field can't be emptyThis field can't be emptyInvalid emailThis field can't be emptyInvalid password, it needs to be at least 6 charactersThis field can't be emptyPasswords don't match

Please select where did you hear about us

Please select where do you live

I have read and
accepted the Terms of Use and Privacy
Policy *You must accept the terms and conditionsBy ticking this box I confirm to have my data processed in order to sign up to The Mix's website *You must agree to have your data processed in order to sign up to The Mix's website